The potential conflict between a just land reform policy and nation building : a case study of the cornfields community.

Abstract

This study explores the government's current land refonn programme in the light of nation building. It is hypothesised that though the government means well by its introduction of the programme, the current land refonn policy will negatively affect race relations. This is due to the fact that the introduction of this policy has exacerbated white fears of dispossession and raised black expectations of redress. Therefore, the success of this policy will exacerbate white dissatisfaction, and the failure of the policy will frustrate black expectations. Nevertheless, it is argued that this is only prevalent in the short run where as in the long run nation building could be achieved through this programme.